The Little Sister
by treehillbabe
Summary: Peyton's little sister was given up at birth. What happens when she comes to town after her parents death and brings her past with her?
1. sister

Prolouge... A beautiful girl steps of a train in Tree Hill. She pushes her long, curly, sandy brown hair out of her face. Abigail Sawyer has never been so afraid in her life. She is about to meet her father and her sister Peyton for the first time. It turns out that the younger Sawyer had been given up. Partly because of money constraints and partly because Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer decided that they would not be able to give her enough love and attention. After all Peyton was about 2 when Mrs. Sawyer gave birth and it would have been an unfair burden on her with her husband away at sea for most of the year. At least that's what they told themselves to soften the grief and guilt that had been weighing on them for years. Ever since her mother's death Peyton had longed for companionship. Of course there was Brooke but there are some things that you can't even tell your best friend. She had always wanted a little sister or brother. She was about to get the surprise of a lifetime.......  
  
Chapter 1...meet the family  
  
Abigail was nervous. The old wooden door, slightly weathered from having seen its share of hurricanes, seemed more even more threatening in the late afternoon light. Gathering up all the courage that she could muster she knocked twice, very bravely, on the menacing door. A very perky brunette answered the door and gave her a blank look.  
"Hey is Peyton Sawyer here," asked a very confused Abigail. The brunette just continued staring. It was beginning to get a little unsettling to Abby so she turned to leave.  
"Well you don't have to leave on my account. Sorry I was just shocked I have never seen anyone who looks so much like Peyton before come on in and I'll get her." Brooke finally recovered from the shock. And went to go fetch Peyton who was, most likely, painting in her room. While Brooke was gone Abigail took in her surroundings. This house was definitely much smaller than her previous home. After all she had lived in a mansion. But it definitely had a more homely feel to it. Abigail harbored no ill will towards her parents. She had loved her adoptive parents dearly but when they had died in a car accident earlier that month her world had shattered. She was now in control of a ridiculously large sum of money. But all she really wanted was people to love and accept her. Through the adoption agency she had discovered that her mother had passed away a while ago but she still had her dad and sister. She didn't want her sister or dad to know about the money until she was sure she could trust them. After all being 15 and an heiress who just received her inheritance is a very threatening place in life to be. She wished he were here. He'd know exactly what to say to calm her already frazzled nerves. She was soon pulled out of her reverie by a blond girl with hair like hers and a very handsome middle aged man who she assumed was her father. He recognized her immediately and it was like all the grief that had been clouding his heart had been removed he moved to hug her and Abigail accepted it warmly.  
"I, I mean me and your mother, we never wanted to....you know give you up but we were scared and I just want you to know you were never far from my thoughts. We even went back to the adoption agency the next week but you had already been adopted." He spat out between the tears.  
"It's alright. I loved my adoptive parents fiercely and they loved me back. I don't blame you for giving me up I just wanted you to know that." Said a now very choked up Abigail.  
"Um... not to break this little reunion or anything but does someone mind telling me what the hell is going on" by this point an extremely confused Peyton just wanted to know what was taking place in her living room. After all she caught words like adoption and give up. Possibly she was more confused that her dad was clinging to a girl, who looked very much like her but with her fathers sandy brown hair and her mother's green eyes, in the middle of her living room and crying like the day her mom had died. She turned to Brooke and gave her a look while Brooke just put her hands up and walked away. Feeling like she was intruding on this family moment.  
"Peyton, this is your sister Abigail. Do you remember when your mom got really big when you were around two and we asked you about how you would feel with a new brother or sister? Well, we weren't just asking for your benefit. But as the pregnancy wore on we began to consider the constraints another child would have on our family namely your mother. And so with a heavy heart on April 30, 1988 we tucked away another of our most prized possessions and gave her up for adoption." Explained her dad. Peyton was in shock. Had she just heard her dad correctly? She had a sister! A baby sister, who by the looks of her wasn't a baby anymore. In fact her wish since she was little had just come true. She let out a soft chuckle, and moved to join into the now tight family embrace.  
"I can't believe, I have a sister!" cried Peyton. There were however questions to be answered. The major one being why her sister had decided that she would appear on their doorstep now after all these years. Sensing that the question was in the air, Abigail answered that her parents had just recently died and that she had no where else to go. Mr. Sawyer found this to be the best news he had received in a long time. And so it became official that Abigail was to become an official Sawyer and would move in the next day!  
  
Chapter 2...townies Peyton and Abigail had stayed up all night chatting and catching each other up on all the happenings in their lives for the past 15 years. Peyton shared memories of their mother and happening of the town while Abigail explained her life and her friends. Conspicuously missing was the fact that Abigail was indeed very rich. A sisterly bond had existed from the get go and to them it felt like they had never been apart. Around noon the sisters decided to go for a walk around Tree Hill. Peyton wanted to educate her to her surroundings before she started school on Monday and Abby just wanted to get out of the now cramped house. She decided that as soon as she could she would buy the family a larger house so that they could live comfortably. After all, family spoiled family, that was her parent's motto. As they were nearing Karen's Café Peyton began to be distracted buy a young man on the other side of the street pushing a baby in a carriage. As the crossed Jake looked up and smiled. He had always had a crush on Peyton and lately it seemed as though the feelings were beginning to be returned.  
"Hey Jake," Peyton exclaimed while playing with baby Jenny in the carriage "how have you been doing." Now at eye level and displaying a dazzling smile aimed solely at Jake.  
"Peyton so nice to see you. I've been great but I'm better now that you are here. I'm taking Jenny for a walk to get some exercise/fresh air" explained Jake. " Who is that behind you?"  
"Oh geeze I completely forgot! Where are my manners? This is my sister Abigail! I have a baby sister!!!!" Peyton screeched. Abigail took this as her cue to shake hands with the good-looking stranger and give him a smile. She'd have to ask Peyton about him later. It seemed something was going on there. As they were said their reluctant good-byes and Peyton and Abigail turned to leave the perky brunette who Abby now knew was Brooke bounced up to them with a really hot blond boy following closely behind and laughing hysterically. So hysterically in fact that Abby was about to ask him if he was alright.  
"Peyton and the girl from yesterday." Brooke stated hoping to get some insight into the nature of this girl.  
"Oh Brooke you left before I could tell you yesterday! This is so exciting! I have a sister...a real live baby sister!" laughed Peyton " This is Abigail Marie Sawyer!" grabbing Abby and pushing her sister in front of her. Abigail was bombarded with questions and an impulsive hug from Brooke. She learned that the blonde's name was Lucas Scott and that his mother owned Karen's Café. She artfully avoided questions relating to where she went to school and what not. She couldn't have them knowing it would have given her away. She also learned that Lucas and Brooke had been dating for about 6 months and were really in love with each other and that Lucas had a half brother who he got along well with and a Dad who was a jerk. She decided to steer clear of Dan Scott. At the end of this encounter they all wen to Karen's Café and had some of the best food Abby could ever remember having. And she had been all over the world! When the day was finally over she went to sleep with a huge smile in place, knowing that this could very well be a new start for her away from all the stress of the upper class. The only person she would miss was the one she didn't want to leave behind....she tried to shake herself out of this self pity. He would eventually find out where she was. They were best friends and all...but in reality she wished they could have been more.  
  
Chapter 3...School Surprises  
  
It was Abigail's first day of school. She was nervous and excited at the same time. She hoped to meet some new friends so she wouldn't have to feed off of Peyton's friendships. She loved her sister and her sister's friends but she wanted some of her own. She had been quite popular at her last schools and hoped that wouldn't be any different here in Tree Hill. School had gone by pretty quickly and Abigail had managed to make more than a few friends. Most of them were boys but she had always gotten along with boys better anyway. There were however a few choice girls who seemed to be genuinely sweet. She was now in her 2nd to last period of the day. There had been an error in her transcripts so she had to take a couple courses she took last year again. That was fine with her. She had always preferred art, mainly her photography courses (which thankfully were here in Tree Hill as well) to the more traditional classes inflicted by societal standards. Her zoning out was interrupted though when the door opened and she found herself locking eyes with the most intense green eyes she had ever encountered the ones she had never thought she would look into again.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
There he was! It was just like back in Raleigh. She wondered what he was doing there, she was ecstatic. Tristan Gregory Maudlin was back in her life. He had found her, she wasn't that shocked they had a connection that couldn't be broken. She barely heard when he was introduced to the class and stared in shock as he took the seat next to her. All during class she could feel his penetrating gaze on her left cheek. Abby could tell that he wanted to ask her something she didn't even think she could explain. How do you explain to your best friend why you had to leave the place you once called home? How do you make them see that they still mean the world to you? She still wanted more than she thought he was willing to give her. He had always been the player and she had been his loyal sidekick, his rock. And of course she had dated other people but he had always been her shoulder to cry on after the relationship went south. She hated to admit to herself that it was merely because she knew that they would never measure up to him, and she doubted that she would ever share that tidbit with him. Tristan was the hottest person on the planet to her. It helped her cause out a little that most other girls saw it her way. He really didn't even know that he was as hot as he was. Sure he was a player but not because he knew that he could get away with it but because that was the way he was raised. His home life had never been great so he spent had spent most of his time at her house since they had met in kindergarten. Her parents even made him his own room at their house and he took advantage of that on many occasions. They had grown up together and had always remained friends. He was gorgeous by anyone's standards, his piercing bright green eyes had always had the ability to suck her in and his almost black hair was curled in just the right way. His stunning features gave way to a strong jawline and high cheekbones, which were accented by his perennially tanned skin. When walking through the halls of their old high school there was always a small group of socialites behind him. He could have any girl he wanted at Centennial. That is why Abigail was so shocked when he waltzed into her classroom and back into her life.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
He could feel the appreciative stares that many of his classmates were dolling out to him but the truth was he was only marginally aware of them. All of his attention was focused on the beauty that he had locked eyes with, the one that broke his heart that she had stolen without even realizing it. To him she was his unattainable perfect girl. Her beautiful sandy brown curls highlighted her rosy cheeks and luscious pink lips. She wasn't too thin but just the right size and her gray-green eyes were hauntingly beautiful. She was always there for him and he tried to be there for her too. He didn't realize that he was falling in love with her until it was too late to turn back. Since she had gone without a word, he had been searching like mad for her using his family's connections he was able to discern that she had gone to Tree Hill to find her biological father and sister. He figured she was searching for a new family because she hadn't been the same since her parents died. And since she was in Tree Hill that's where he had decided to go as well. Convincing his father that he needed to go to a small town's high school had been hard work. But after learning that it was where the Tree Hill Hawk's were from he relented. Tristan was an amazing basketball player but unfortunately the team at Centennial had been less than par and so Tristan's father had bought a large house in Tree Hill and Tristan had enrolled in school there. In all honesty Tristan only wanted to be closer to Abby but that wouldn't have flown well since his father considered her a negative influence on his boy. He barely registered where his seat was as the teacher pointed it out and he moved towards it. The only available seat was next to Abby. That was great news for him, considering, but she didn't seem to think of it that way. She broke the gaze and refused to look at him for the rest of the period, instead she took a copious amount of notes on something they had learned last year. Finally the period was over and both hung back a little bit. To stunned to talk Abby reached towards Tristan and pulled him into a hug. Both felt shockwaves of electricity at the touch but were too scared to do anything about it.  
"I'm so sorry you must hate me so much," sniffled Abby into Tristan's shoulder.  
"There's no way I could ever hate you Abby. I understand why you did it, it just hurts that's all." Tristan calmly stated trying to conceal the tears threatening to overcome him. He began to wipe Abby's tears away gently while stroking her back. This calmed Abby down considerably, as it always had..  
"Well then Mr. Maudlin why have you decided to grace Tree Hill High School with your presence. We don't want your lackey's to be disappointed do we?"  
"I came here because I knew it wouldn't be the same without you there. In fact I came because whether you like it or not you are stuck with me. And lastly I came here because this team kicks ass at basketball."  
"Ah, the true motive revealed!"  
"Hey don't sell yourself short Abby! It's mainly because I couldn't live without you." Stated Tristan with a smile. Abby absolutely beamed upon hearing this. Maybe he did have some inclination of liking her in the way she liked him. Together the best friends walked to their last period of the day. They found out that they had the exact same schedule and lunch. They could tell that they were going to be as inseparable as before.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
After school Tristan had to stay for basketball and this left Abby up to her own devices. She had found out Peyton was a cheerleader but considering her own distaste for cheerleaders, that was one event that she decided not to be a part of. Instead Abby decided to join the Dance Team because that is what she was good at. After all she had been taking lessons since she was 3 at some of the most exclusive and elite dance schools in the world. She had informed Tristan that he was not to mention her wealthy upbringing and he had agreed to keep the secret. And so the friends parted and promised to catch up on the past couple days at Karen's Café that night. Their interactions did not go unnoticed by Brooke, Luke, Peyton, Nathan and Haley who were watching with interest.  
"Hey Abigail, who was that you were talking to?" asked Peyton.  
"That would be my best friend in the whole world slash biggest crush ever, Tristan." She replied.  
"Oh so I'm forgotten I see," Nathan stated in amusement. He had thought that she had liked him when the gang had met up that weekend.  
"You aren't forgotten so much as never were liked" sugar coated Abby. " Besides you're taken anyway." With a smile in Haley's direction.  
"Well I gotta hand it to you, you certainly know how to pick 'em. He is possibly hotter than Lukey here." Chimed Brooke. Which earned her a pinch on the arm from the aforementioned boyfriend.  
"Let's not discuss the social life of my poor little sister anymore. Besides we need to get to practice. What did you decide to try out for Abby?"  
"Dance team. I have always loved to dance."  
"Cool I'll see you at 5:30! OK gang lets move out!" The gang left and Abby was once again alone in her thoughts. She hurried to get changed and make it to her new squad. Luckily, practice had just started when Abby walked in and it was her turn already to dance. She had picked to dance to Bon Jovi's "Shot through the Heart" so that is what she did. And she wowed the judges and the other students. It was unusual for a transfer student to be granted a spot so late in the year after all it was December but she was not only accepted she was a co-captain with a girl named Grace. They danced and showed her their routines and before they all knew it, 5:30 rolled around. It was time to go home.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Tristan was excited to be able to try out and play with a great team like the Hawks. In fact, he was a little nervous. But right as he was walking out of the locker room, he caught sight of Abby running towards a small room to the side of the Gym and he knew it would be OK. After all Abby was his own personal good luck charm. The team was in the middle of warm ups when Whitey beckoned him over. He introduced Tristan to Luke, Nathan, and Jake and told them to begin a game. Whitey had heard of the boy's athleticism and wanted to test it out. The four became fast friends and soon the conversation turned to Abby.  
"So tell us man what is the deal with you and Peyton's sister." said Nathan  
" Well she's my best friend...is that what do you want to know."  
"Could you ever see yourself as more than just friends with her?"  
"Why do you want to know so bad? Do you like her or something because if you do I'd watch out for me."  
"Ah. So it is that you like her." Said Lucas  
"Well yeah I've liked her for ever I just don't think she likes me as much as I like her. She's perfect and I'm just me."  
"She is really hot I'll give you that. Possibly hotter than the sister. But she may surprise you with how she feels. You should give it a try." Nathan said as Luke nodded his head in agreement.  
"No one is hotter than Peyton." Stated Jake. *Oh crap that secret is out*  
"Hey man whatever floats your boat. I prefer girls with brown hair though." Nathan said thinking of Haley.  
The conversation soon returned to basketball as the quartet was paired against another group to play some scrimmages. Finally 5:30 rolled around and basketball practice was over. Whitey came over and told Tristan that he was some of the freshest young talent he's seen in years. He didn't mean that as an insult to Luke and Nathan though because they already know they are good.  
When Tristan was walking out of the locker room a girl approached him and tried to put the moves on him:  
"Hey you're that new kid. The really hot one I've heard about. I'm Cindy and this is my number call me if you ever need anything." She said.  
"Well its nice to meet you Carol but I don't think I'll be needing this. I've already got my eye on a girl and I'm not going to let he get away this time." He stated giving her the slip with her number on it and walking away with out a glance backward.  
"It's Cindy and you'll change your mind and come around. They always do!" Yelled Cindy.  
Tristan just chuckled to himself and went home to prepare for his "date" with Abby that night. He was too excited to talk to anyone so he jumped in his BMW convertible and raced towards his palatial home. 


	2. the date

Chapter 8  
  
It was 7:30 and Tristan was supposed to pick her up at 7. He never did have any sense of time. She didn't even know why she was so worried because it wasn't like he viewed it as a date. Or did he? Since school started that September she had been getting strange signals from him. She was just so confused. Finally she heard his car in the driveway and placed the finishing touches on her makeup and outfit. She hoped he liked what he saw.  
  
The first thing he saw as she opened the door was the smile that had been absent since the death of her parents in late September. He loved that smile and returned it with a sincere grin of his own. She really did look beautiful that night. Her hair was half up and she had left some curls out to cascade around her cheeks. Her long lashes and flawless complexion provided the perfect canvas for her artistic hand. Her eyes shown brightly as they met his and both were filled with a sense of electricity. She had on bright pink pants, which she wore with light pink socks and Mary Janes. But the shirt is more what grabbed his attention. He had given it to her as a birthday present in April and she had said she would wait until the perfect moment to wear it. He had been worried that she wouldn't like it, as it was a bit more revealing than her usual style. But it screamed to him one day at the mall. It was black and low cut. The sleeves were mesh but you really couldn't tell. Across the bust small bright pink crystals spelled out love. He didn't know why he had bought it. He supposed that it had to do with the fact that he was in love with her. But she hadn't gotten it, or pretended not to so he had lain to rest his fears of being discovered. He had never seen her more beautiful.  
  
She was in love. That much she knew when she opened the door to find her personal prince charming gazing up at her almost lovingly (she convinced herself). His curly brown hair was glistening in the moonlight and his eyes had never shown as brightly. His mouth was twisted into that infuriating smirk, which she would never admit she loved, and he was wearing a pair of khakis and a light blue sweater which looked somewhat familiar (possibly because of her giving it to him last January as a birthday present). He looked amazing as always but something was different in the way her regarded her tonight. She hoped she didn't have anything in her teeth and self-consciously tugged at her sparkly belt.  
  
"You look beautiful tonight Abby. The people at Centennial wouldn't believe it was you."  
"Well thanks for the self confidence booster their Trist...I never knew that you cared what I looked like. But I can change into my "boring old self" if you'd like". Abby stated good-naturedly.  
"Hey that's not what I meant and you know it. Besides you are always beautiful to me. Even when you got your wisdom teeth out."  
"Please don't remind me about that. I still feel horrible for throwing up all over your suit. I hope your dad wasn't too mad."  
"Ehhh. He's my dad remember, the one who thinks you're a bad influence on me anyway. I'm sure he would have been pissed but I gave it to the butler when I got home that night." He replied with a wink and a gentle squeeze of their now entwined hands.  
  
A smile between the two was shared and all the pre-date jitters had subsided. Now all the two cared about was catching up and moving forward. As the night wore on however it became aware to both of them that the relationship had changed. Tristan began to think that maybe on some level his deep feelings for Abigail were returned. Abigail began to think that Tristan wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him. Conversation lapsed into a silence heavy with unspoken I love you's. The tension towards the end of the date became almost unbearable. Neither party knew what to say and it was getting really awkward for Abby and Tristan.  
  
Finally he had had enough. He needed to tell her about his feelings before he lost his nerve.  
"You know how you said I could tell you anything Abs?"  
"Yes of course and that offer is still on the table if you're up for it" Abby replied with a sweet smile which Tristan gratefully returned.  
"Well, I just don't know how to put it. I mean I am supposed to be this lady's man or whatever but we both know I get tongue tied around a beautiful lady."  
"Hey, I'm not going to judge you. You're always going to be Tristan to me."  
"How do you tell your best friend you are in love with her?" he whispered softly  
"What did you just say?" asked Abby she was sure she had just heard a declaration of love but she could just be hearing things. I mean its what she has wanted so badly she must have heard wrong.  
"I said how do you tell your best friend you are in love with her." He stated again this time with a little bit more conviction. He took the silence as a bad sign and sat back in his chair looking defeated. He hadn't gotten his dream girl. Maybe he misread the signs; could it be that he and this angel sitting across from him were destined to remain friends?  
Luckily a small voice spoke up from what seemed to be a black hole now separating them. "Well, I guess you just tell her and hope that she feels the same way."  
Tristan smiled, Abby had just been waiting for him to tell her. "Ok, that works for me. Abigail I am in love with you. I don't know how long its been going on for and I honestly cant say when it started but I am in love with you." Letting out a sigh of relief Tristan smirked and winked at Abigail.  
Abigail was shocked. Her dreams had just come true. Her best friend, the guy she had been crushing on since before she ever even liked guys had just declared his love for her. She smiled the biggest smile she could and grabbed Tristan's hand. "What took you so long! I was getting worried that you may never love me the way that I love you!" That was all the invitation that he needed he closed the distance between them and gave her an earth shattering kiss. When the need for oxygen began to outweigh the desire to keep their connection, Abby reluctantly pulled back and rested her forehead on Tristan's. Both of them had the biggest smiles they had ever seen on and were excited and open to their new relationship.  
  
"That was...umm...I'm at a loss for words here...."  
"The sentiment is returned Tristan...that was the best kiss I've had in my life."  
"Hey did I ever tell you about the time that Crissy Mc. Gongre threw up in my mouth."  
"Uhhh what?" had the kiss really been that bad? Abby pondered this for a few seconds while another lapse took place in the conversation. Maybe Tristan hadn't felt the tingles going off like she had? Tristan was used to getting what he wanted and then throwing it away when he got bored with it. Was he already bored with her? He had always seemed like the type who liked the chase more than the reward.  
  
As Abby began to feel the self-doubt bubbling up like an eternal spring, Tristan was about to shoot himself. Had he seriously just said that to the girl he loved more than anything, right after that mind-blowing kiss? Well it was mind blowing after all, and that was bound to create some type of nervous response from him. Tristan Gregory Maudlin was never good with attachments. Of the people he was close to Abby was by far the closest to him. He admired her strength, her wit, her beauty, but most of all he enjoyed her company. How would that change now that they were starting a relationship? He never wanted to lose her but he was also afraid that she would get sick of him and leave him to nurse his broken heart. While this didn't really seem like her character, after all they'd known each other forever, since he wasn't close to anyone else, he was nervous that he would somehow blow the relationship. Finally, unable to stand the silence surrounding the two like a dark cloud, he burst out laughing. Neither were quite sure why but somehow Abby had joined in and while there was still self-doubt and self-hatred floating about, the two best friends (and maybe something more) eased back into normal conversation.  
"That was so awkward Tristan." Breathed Abby, not sure if he was laughing because of the dumb comment he had just made or because of the kiss the two had shared.  
"Abby, I am so sorry I just got so nervous after we kissed and I was trying to say something suave or debonair. You know something that would make you swoon. Leave it to you to make me into a blubbering baboon."  
"Tristan, you know you don't need to try to impress me. I love you just the way you are." Tristan smirked, "Annoying smirk and all, I wouldn't change a thing."  
And with that the two began another heated make out session. 


	3. real life

Raleigh:

Abigail woke up the next morning to discover that it was Sunday. Tristan had never even come to Tree Hill and probably would never give up his ways to commit to her. The thing was though that the dream had seemed so realistic. It motivated her to go to Raleigh and sort things out with Tristan. Maybe she would even tell him about where she was and how much she wished he would love her too.

Considering it was Sunday Abby had a difficult time finding a train that was going to Raleigh. She decided that she would bring one of her cars from home that night to save her the time and trouble. She took a taxi to Tristan's house from the train station without even stopping at her house there. She had thought about selling the old place but realized that it would always be a part of her, and so she kept it and hired a care taker for the immese property. Delightedly, she found Tristan's house to be the same as it had been a month prior to her departure from Raleigh high society.

By the time she arrived it was nearing 2 o clock which meant that Tristan's father was at his golf game. She silently thanked God that she wouldn't have to deal with Mr. Maudlin. Abby had always liked Mrs. Maudlin and Mrs. Maudlin treated Abby like the daughter she never had. She knocked on the door and was greeted by James, the family butler who took her to the back garden where Mrs. Maudlin was and announced her presence.

"Mrs. Maudlin, you have a visitor…" Florence turned around at the sound of James' voice and much to her delight, the visitor was none other than Abigail Marie Sawyer who had disappeared much to her and her sons' chagrin. She greeted Abby with a warm smile and a bear hug.

"There you are dear, tell me where have you been hiding yourself," inquired Florence.

"You know I couldn't stay here, but I've been taken care of don't worry," Abby stated.

"Tristan will be so disappointed that he missed you, he's been in such a state since you left."

"Oh, well, where is he?" asked Abby perplexed.

"Well, if memory serves me, he is at his new girlfriends house trying to forget about someone." Florence announced. When she noted Abby's crestfallen expression she tried to make amends by offering to call him, Abigail politely refused and made a hurried excuse to leave. She didn't take into account the last part of the statement, and rushed out of the Maudlin estate barely noticing a familiar car pulling up and a name being called…

Tristan could not believe his eyes, there she was, his best friend forever, and secret crush Abigail Sawyer, running from his house in near tears. He called out to her but she did not hear him. Tristan decided to go inquire about the unusual visitor to his mother, to find out more before he went to find his girl. He found her as usual in the back garden, looking wistfully at the planted arrangements and reading another Jackie Collins book.

"Hello mom, care to tell me why ABIGAIL SAWYER was here and you didn't think to call me!?!?!" He got out.

"Well, hello to you too dear, and yes, you left specific instructions not to bother you while you were at Tanya's house this morning." Florence stated.

"Mom, its Abby, you didn't think that I would have wanted to talk to her!!" he spat out, turned on his heel and ran to his fastest car. At his departure, Florence smiled; maybe there was hope for the two of them after all…

Abigail was crushed, she didn't know why; she hadn't expected Tristan to wait around for her. But what hurt her most was that he didn't seem to be upset about her leaving, since she had vanished one month ago, she had called him about 5 times and had never received a call back. She concluded her run from the Maudlin estate at one just down the road. It was, by far the grandest house on the block. Its old hickory trees lined the walk and its white siding starkly contrasted with the black shudders. The beautiful old Victorian house sat in the middle of tree lined walks and beautifully landscaped surroundings. It was the home of the richest people in Raleigh the Sawyer's and this meant Abigail now that her adoptive parents were dead. She found it very strange that her adoptive family had the same last name as her actual parents, but this coincidence was excellent in her book.

Abigail walked up the front steps, through the door, said a quick hello to her butler and old friend Carl ran to her room and collapsed in tears on the bed. She stayed like that for a long time until she heard the door click open and a pair of strong arms encircle her. She knew those arms; they could only belong to one person. Abigail turned around and came face to face with the brightest green eyes she had ever seen.

Tristan looked into the eyes of the girl he loved and saw sadness and emptiness where there was once a mirthful light. The sight almost brought tears to his eyes but before he could open his mouth to ask her what was wrong, this apparition he had dreamt of so many nights spoke so softly he thought he had imagined it.

"What are you doing here?" Abby whispered, hoping that this was real and she hadn't dreamt this up again. After a few moments she began to worry until she felt him stroke her hair and her back. Finally, he spoke.

"You are so beautiful" He said in a hushed tone. Of course he told her this all the time but this time it sounded different, almost reverent. "I could ask you the same thing Abby."

"I came here to see you, but you were too busy with the flavor of the week so I came here to rest up a bit before returning to where I came from." She said, managing to keep the bitterness out of her tone.

"If I had known you were here I would have dropped everything Abs, you are my best friend. It doesn't matter that you ran away you are here now." Tristan mumbled into her hair while taking a deep whiff of the intoxicating scent that was distinctly Abby.

"Such a line Tristan, especially from someone who doesn't return my phone calls and seems to be doing just fine without his 'best friend' here." Abby spat, finally submitting to the feelings of desertion she felt from Tristan whilst trying to ignore the sensation of him stroking her hair. "Its late, I need to get going, maybe when you realize that I am more than just a pity friend I'll tell you where I am."

Tristan felt as though his heart was being ripped out and was too stunned to do anything as she picked her self off the bed and moved a considerable distance away from him before finally turning on her heel and walking out of the room. He continued to lay there long after he heard the engine turn on and the squeal of tires which meant that she definitely was driving her Aston Martin. He had a lot of work to do if he was going to convince Abby that she was so much more than a pity friend. But first, he needed to find out where she was. Finally, he picked himself up and walked to his old room in the Sawyer household and began going through contact sheets to find just the person he was looking for.

Abby was heartbroken as she raced toward Tree Hill in her Aston Martin. She didn't think that by driving this car here, she would reveal who she was. In fact, she was too tired to care anymore and simply wanted her sister and father to comfort her and help her with her burden, she was going to tell them everything when she got to their house.

The telling:

Abby finally pulled up in the Sawyer driveway and hopped out of her car. She ran into the living room and found Peyton and her father sitting there going through old boxes and deciding what needed to be thrown out in order to make room for Abby. Her heart swelled with such love and admiration for these people that she was almost afraid to talk.

"Hey guys what are you doing," Abby questioned.

"Going through boxes to make room for you of course," stated her sister with a smile.

"What if I told you that you did not need to do that because I can afford to buy us a bigger house?" Abby asked.

"I'd laugh and you and tell you, you were crazy, no 16 year old can afford a house." Her father said with a light in his eyes.

"My parents were Judith and Willard Sawyer of the Raleigh Sawyers. I am their only heir. You do the math." Abby stated with a smile.

"OH MY GOD!!! My sister is Raleigh Royalty! Ohhh Brook will be soo jealous of this!" Peyton squealed while doing a dance that made her look slightly crazy.

"Well guys, what kind of house did you have in mind. And ohhh can you not tell anyone but your close friends about this and tell everyone to keep it on the dl for a while, I like my friends to like me for me." Abigail sputtered.

The Move:

Abigail had been attending Tree Hill High for a month. She was one of the most popular students at school. Many boys wanted to get with her and all the girls wanted to be her friend. It was exactly as it had been at Centennial. The only person missing from that equation was her best friend and "future husband" (according to her mom). Abigail tried her hardest not to think about Tristan as she was trying to get on with her new life. She had told her sister and her sisters friends all about Tristan even showed them a couple photos. To which Brooke remarked on his exceedingly good looks and obvious charm.

Peyton and Jake had finally gotten together thanks to an ingenious scheme cooked up by Brooke and Abby. Brooke and Abigail had bonded considerably thanks to similar backgrounds and taste in boys, music, clothing, and most other things. Peyton often remarked at how similar the two actually were. Brooke and Peyton were by far Abby's best friends in Tree Hill.

Today was move in day, it also happened to be the first day of winter break. Abby had purchased a beautiful home in Tree Hill right next to Brooke's house. It had a gorgeous wrap around porch and came complete with a pool and a hot tub. The entire Sawyer Clan was excited for the move. Peyton of course was the most excited because now her best friend was right next door. As the kids and movers lugged boxes in, they noticed a similar scene playing out just down the street and resolved to go check it out later during break.

Abigail's new room was beautiful. Peyton had painted a couple scenes on the walls of the room. The bed was big and fluffy and the furniture accentuated the room without making it look gaudy. What Abby loved most though was the walk in closet. Plenty of room for clothing and shoes. To her left was the bathroom that connected the girls' rooms, and down the hall was Mr. Sawyers "suite" as they called it. All in all Abigail was very happy with her new house and even more overjoyed with her new life. She found without all the social constraints of high society that she was happier than she had been for some time at school. What Abigail didn't know was that life was just about to get a bit more wonderful…


	4. the arrival

It was the first day back at Tree Hill High after break. For a reason that Abby could not put her finger on, she was actually excited to be going to school. The halls buzzed with a nervous excitement as students of THH caught up with each other and filled others in on the good times had during break. Her thoughts flitted back to the strange course of events that had happened over the long break. After getting settled in at "the Sawyer Place", as it was now called by both family and friends, Abby had gone to see who had moved in down the street. Only, when she arrived there she found that no one was home. In fact, it had stayed that way all of break, which in Abby's opinion, was just plain weird. A girl with silky long blond hair and pretty brown eyes broke her out of this reverie, once she had snapped back into reality and realized that her friend Krista was talking she tried to concentrate one the words being said. However, try as she may, she just couldn't focus on the conversation but caught snidbits like "absolutely gorgeous" and "clearly wealthy". She then politely excused herself from the situation and made her way to period one, English Lit.

Half way through the lecture, and wayyyyyyy after the late bell and the "late, late bell", the door creaked open. Attention was turned from the board in the front of the classroom to the side door. Ms. Sumkins the guidance counselor for Abby's grade, and recent college grad who happened to be gorgeous, poked her head in and talked with Mr. Cole, the handsome English Lit teacher in his late twenties. Mr. Cole soon flashed a smile at Ms. Sumkins and said something in a hushed tone that made her blush profusely, most likely flirting as the entire student body knew that they had a thing for eachother. He then turned his focus onto the class and announced the arrival of a new student.

A nervous anticipation fell among the students and all eyes turned to the door. Seconds later, wearing blue dress shirt and designer jeans an overwhelmingly attractive guy with deep brown hair and bright green eyes walked in and introduced himself as Tristan Maudlin. Abby, who had fainted on the spot upon seeing her estranged best friend was noticed by Krista who brought it to Mr. Cole's attention. The nurse was soon called and arrived just as Abby was coming to.

At the nurses office, Abby was pacing in the small room designated for "fainters". Her best friend, who she loved more than anything in the world, was here, in tiny Tree Hill. She felt like she was going to puke. But at the same time, something in her stirred. He had proven to her that he still cared about her. Maybe not in the same way she cared for him but still, it had to mean something that he had uprooted his life in Raleigh and moved to such a tiny town. She immediately began finding other reasons for his sudden appearance in Tree Hill. This time she wasn't going to delude herself into thinking that he actually had come for her. No way no how, she wasn't going to put herself through the sheer agony of an unrequited love yet again. Although, as she sat and thought about it in the small room she currently occupied, she never had really gotten over Tristan. She merely had pushed all thoughts of him aside and tried to get over him because she figured he had moved on. Now he was in Tree Hill and back in her life. She surmised, after going through numerous reasons in her head, that Tristan had come to Tree Hill because the Ravens were the best basketball team in the state, it was just an added bonus to him that his best friend was here. The nurse came in and informed her that the 3-hour waiting period had expired and she was free to leave. Abby was never happier to be going to lunch.

Meanwhile, Tristan was getting more and more antsy as time wore on. He was desperately worried for Abby and had not seen her in any of their classes that day. When he had enrolled in Tree Hill, he had chosen all of the same classes and sections as Abby. He tried to convince himself that she had all the classes he wanted to take but he knew it was fueled mainly by the overwhelmingly selfish need to be around her. As 11:15 rolled around Tristan was no longer able to sit still. He left his Geography class at 11:10 claiming that he needed to use the bathroom and politely declined the many females who offered to "show" him where it was. His thoughts rested with one girl only, and that was Abigail Marie Sawyer. And so, after retrieving the hall pass from his antiquated teacher, he hurried off in search of his true love.

Abby by this time had left the nurses office and was heading for her locker to pick up her afternoon books and lunch. As she rounded the corner that would lead to a main hallway, and thus her locker, she collided with a brick wall. She realized, as two strong arms wrapped themselves around her frame, that it hadn't been a brick wall at all, but the object of her affections and source of much inner turmoil himself, Tristan. She managed a small smile and a strangled hello and prepared herself for the conversation she knew was coming.

Tristan just stared at the beauty that was now in his arms. He hadn't expected to literally run into Abby, but appreciated the ease of his location of her. After what seemed like several moments, but in reality was more like 30 seconds, the spell was broken when Abby let out a strangled hello. Noting the unease in her voice and the worried expression on her face, he gently guided them to the library to talk. When they arrived, he wasted no time in asking her what he felt he needed to.

"Why Abby?" he said. The tone of his voice was resigned and sad. Abby who had been in a state of shock during the walk to the library finally made a move to acknoledge his presence. She pulled him into a tight embrace shocking them both by giving him a little squeeze and a nice pat on the back.

As she pulled away from the comforting embrace she hung her head so that he wouldn't see the tears spilling out of her eyes, and whispered "There was nothing left for me there, Tristan. Not even you." She then shifted out of his embrace and sat dejectedly on a chair.

Tristan was shocked when he heard those words spew from her mouth like the crap that they were. Those words cut him deep. Not only because the situation was entirely untrue, Abby had friends who could have supported her and then of course there was him, but he knew that she actually felt that those words were true. He suddenly realized how deserted she must have felt during the week that followed her parents' funeral when he had avoided her like the plague; he was confused about his feelings for Abby and was heartbroken over the death of her parents who, in many ways were his parents too. Even after she went missing she had tried to call, but at that point he had been too angry with her to return her phone calls. He realized now that that had been the worst way to handle the situation and probably the most childish. Best friends didn't do that kind of thing, they were a shoulder to cry on and they worked through things together. He wanted to cry. Standing there in the middle of a library in a strange town that he had moved to, Tristan Gregory Maudlin had a revelation. He needed to show Abby that he was still her best friend, hell while he was at it he needed to show her that he was in love with her. Even if it pained him over the death of her parents he should have been there for her. Instead he had been a selfish bastard who only cared about himself, in a word, his father.

Tristan rushed to Abby's side and pulled her chin up gently with his finger. He brushed the tears away that continued to trickle down her face and made her meet his eyes.

"I've been a jackass Abby and I am soooo sorry. You don't even know the hell I went through when I thought I had lost you. And when you called I was so angry, and I had no reason to be angry because you were doing what was best for you, but I was selfish and I wanted you with me and I should have been there for you but I froze you out. You must hate me." Tristan got out all that he had been feeling since their fight back in Raleigh.

"I don't hate you Tristan," Abby stated as the tears died down, "I am sorry too, I know that they were like parents to you too, and you've always had a lot on your plate and I was just sad and depressed and I thought that my best friend hated me. So I did what any normal teenage girl would do, I went to find someone who would care. And I found them Tristan, I really have, but they aren't you. No one ever measures up to you."

After she said that, her mouth snapped closed and she was worried that she had said too much. Silence descended on the pair for some time, but it was companionable silence, as each was immersed in their own thoughts. After quite a while Abby finally asked the question that she had wanted to since period one.

"Well, we know why I came here, but why are you here? Playing on the Ravens looks better for scouts or something?" She asked managing to keep her voice level and not bitter.

Tristan gave her a hurt look while he tried to gather what she meant by that. Did she really think that he would come because of a basketball team? He realized, and not for the first time that day, just how messed up their relationship had become. He needed to put an end to this, needed, once and for all to show Abby that she was the most important thing in his life. He needed to get passed his insecurities and tell her how he really felt, even if she didn't return the sentiment. Taking a deep breath he opened his mouth to speak. Only to be cut off by the bell signifying the end of lunch. He told her that they would finish this conversation after school and practice because he was giving her a ride home. She nodded quickly before practically running out of the library leaving him alone with his thoughts for awhile before he followed in the same direction.

For the rest of the day, Abby refused to meet his gaze in any of their classes and skillfully avoided him in the halls. Word got around to Brooke and Peyton just who had turned up at school and after the bell rang at the end of the day, before cheer practice and basketball, they went looking for Tristan. They found him trudging dejectedly towards Whitey's office and that meant one thing to the girls, basketball practice. They lengthened their strides and caught up with him right near the front office.

"Hey there Tristan, care to take a walk?" Asked Brooke with Peyton smirking behind her.

Tristan looked at the strange girl and then glanced at the girl behind her who looked a lot like Abby. 'must be her sister' he thought and a small smile began to grace his features. "Well, I'd love to take one, but I usually don't take walks with strangers, even if they are two beautiful ladies like yourselves." He said giving them his patented "Tristan Grin".

Peyton smiled at the man who her sister had loved all her life and realized how excellent the match would be. Both were pretty and both put on personas, but she sensed that behind Tristan's playboy persona he was one hell of a guy. She stuck out her hand and smiled at him whilst introducing herself and Brooke. They began to walk in the direction of Whitey's office while the girls bombarded Tristan with questions. He tried to answer them as best he could and couldn't help but feel as though this was some sort of test. Finally, just before they came to Whitey's door, Peyton asked the question that all of them had known would be coming. "Why are you here?"

Tristan didn't know where to start, but since he believed honesty was the best policy, and this was his best friend/crushes sister, he felt the need to give an honest answer. "I was miserable without Abby there. I'm sure you've heard about me and from this little quiz session I'm guessing it wasn't all good things, but you have to know that I love her. And it isn't just in a best friendy way. We have a connection and I've always been too scared to act on it. But I can assure both of you that I am going to be dealing with that right after practice today." He finished with a large determined grin on his face before heading into the office. As he was walking away he heard applause and turned around to see Brooke and Peyton yell "right answer there kid" to him. Pleased with the way things turned out, he headed into the basketball coach's office and felt as though he was ready for anything.


	5. the talk

Real life, Abby discovered, is never as easy as a dream. The dream she had about Tristan was just a fantasy, she figured, and she did not think she would be able to go back to that state of mind after what had transpired in Raleigh among the two. As she made her way to dance practice (she had tried out for the team and made co captain, just as she had predicted) she thought about the sad turn of events the day had taken. That morning she had been excited to be at school for the first time in forever. She had woken up ready for whatever new challenges waited for her. Little did she know just what the day had to throw at her. Suppressing a bitter laugh, she waved a quick hello to Peyton and Brooke as they grinned like Cheshire Cats. In her haste, she failed to note the new addition to the basketball team, who had walked into Whitey's office, but waved to Nathan, Lucas, and Jake. Abby figured that she should be happy that Tristan was here, and she was ecstatic, but she could not get rid of the feeling of desertion and guilt that had piled itself at the bottom of her stomach. When she had run, she had used the logic that since Tristan had, for all intents and purposes, deserted her, she in turn could desert him. She herself knew that this was a thin disguise and that Tristan hadn't actually deserted her, their connection was too strong. In the end, Abby was left with the hope that her and Tristan could repair their damaged relationship and maybe she would tell him about how she felt. She had once again surrendered to the fact that her desire to be with Tristan would always put a small strain, however infinitesimal, on their friendship and decided it was about time the truth came out.

Tristan was in Whitey's office talking to the Coach about his basketball skill. While Whitey made a quick call to Centennial to see if he was actually acquiring the legendary Tristan Maudlin (his skill almost rivaled the Scott Brothers), Tristan felt his thoughts drift to where they inevitably always ended up, Abby. He wanted to try to pinpoint the exact moment where the relationship had become what it was. She had come to Raleigh to see Tristan and he had been at another conquest's house. He had failed her yet again, and he hoped that Abby would be able to forgive him like she had in the past. Tristan didn't know why he had always flaunted whatever conquest he made to Abby. Every time he would acquire a "girlfriend" or flavor of the week as Abigail called it, he would endlessly parade that fact in front of Abby until he got bored of the girl and discarded her. It was part of his image, of his façade. And he knew for a fact that Abby had a façade at school; of course hers was the wild untamable girl (think Brooke), a façade which belied her intelligence and caring. A public face, one is taught in society, is a lifeline. Through it all though, Abby stood by Tristan, and took this endless parades of girlfriends for what it was, nothing. She must know, he deduced, that those girls mean absolutely nothing to me, which is why she never makes an effort to know them. Tristan had never been good at commitment. He saw his mother's spirit crushed under the burdens of society and marriage to his father and decided that he would never willingly submit himself to another individual. Tristan had, however unwillingly, submitted himself without his knowledge to Abby, and he was a hopelessly lost case because of it.

Practice was going well for Abby. As she taught the complex steps necessary for the choreography she had invented to a new song by 50 Cent, she felt all her stress and anxieties float away. Dance had always been an escape for Abby; throughout her life, she used dance as a way to free herself from the confines of her existence. Not that her life had been particularly hard, after all she had had two loving parents and plenty of money, but dancing was her freedom from society. As her feet would glide across the floor and she would become entranced by the music, Her focus would shift so that she would no longer care about appearances or friends or money or Tristan (well that thought was diminished greatly). She was free for that small amount of time each day. The girls in her dance troupe were great. They were her closest friends in Tree Hill besides her sister and Brooke. Krista, the blonde from earlier was her co captain. She knew as soon as she met Krista, that she was Tristan's type. While Krista was beautiful and caring, she wasn't the brightest person in the bunch, but her personality more than made up for it. Together, the girls made the dance troupe a distinguished and fun place to be. Abby's extensive dance training came in handy when teaching girls the steps and inventing choreography and Krista made sure that everyone got along and feelings were spared. She was kind of like the mom of the group and this made Abby love her all the more. As the song drew to a close, Abby realized that practice was over. And so, she dismissed the girls and headed to the locker room to get washed up before "the talk", as she had dubbed what was going to be happening in Tristan's car.

Tristan loved basketball. For as long as he had been playing it, it had been his escape. It was a complex game and some necessary skills were complicated, but the goal of the game was simple; get the ball into the other team's basket. This simplicity is something that Tristan clung to in his own life. Basketball was his escape from his father, and escape from his façade, and an escape from his life. The sound of a dribbling ball was music to his ears. This devotion to Basketball showed in his game. Tristan had been the best player at Centennial and was ridiculously excited to be playing on a team with a reputation like the Ravens. He silently thanked God that Abby had run away to the one place with a basketball team better than Centennial. Of course, he would have followed her anywhere, but this made it easier to convince his father to pull him out of his ritzy private school and allow him to transfer to a public school in the middle of nowhere. Tristan was also excited that he would be playing on the same team as the legendary Scott Brothers. Tales of their escapades on and off the court were common knowledge in basketball circles. He wondered if they even knew how famous they were in North Carolina. He assumed that they did not, because after meeting them at the beginning of practice they were two of the most grounded people he had ever met. He also learned of their mutual hatred of their father and bonded with them over that fact. As practice drew to a close, he caught sight of Abby's curls bouncing towards the locker room and prepared himself to get his dream girl, his angel. These thoughts stayed with him as he got cleaned up, grabbed his stuff, and headed out to meet her for what he had termed "the talk".

Abigail felt him approach before she saw him coming. It had always been like that with them, the hypersensitivity to the others location was a comforting fact that Abby had always clung to. As he rounded the corner she shifted her focus back to the conversation she was having with Krista. She was explaining, or trying to explain the relationship between her and Tristan. Krista just kept asking if he was available. She had resigned herself to the fact that Tristan and Krista would probably get together some time that year and had decided to just wait it out. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Tristan cleared his throat behind her to announce his presence.

"Hello Tristan, come and meet my friend Krista," Abby said with a smile that reminded Tristan of the old Abby at school, a fake smile, "She's just your type." She whispered under her breath.

Tristan heard Abby's comment but shook it off. Krista was gorgeous and at Centennial, if things had been normal, Tristan would have fallen into that trap. He would have gone out with Krista but become bored and dropped her since she could never measure up to Abby. Wanting to be polite Tristan gave her the "Tristan Grin" and a kiss on the hand.

"My, my what a charmer," Krista said proud of herself for attracting that kind of attention from such a boy. "Doing anything later tonight?" She asked suggestively, basically throwing herself at him.

"Well unfortunately, another beautiful lady has me for tonight." Tristan said with a genuine smile in Abby's direction. Krista looked dejected and Abby felt she should try to make it better. Her conversation with Tristan could wait.

"Oh Tristan, I wouldn't mind if you got to know Krista. I'll just get a ride home with Brooke or Peyton. Man I need to start bringing my own car." She said with a fake smile and a wink. To anyone else, this would look 100 genuine, but Tristan saw the sadness that lurked behind those haunting eyes. He wouldn't let Abby down again, he needed to tell her how he felt before he exploded.

"How do you know I meant you, dearest Abigail?" He said jokingly, but the look in Abby's eyes told him that she thought he was serious. "Well of course I meant you silly, and I am not giving up best friend catch up time to get to know someone else." Tristan smiled at Krista indulgently "No offense Krista, but this is my girl and we haven't seen each other in ages." He said throwing an arm around Abby and ruffling her hair.

Krista could see that Tristan was other wise occupied and that he actually really liked Abby. From what Abby had told her, she could tell that Abby liked Tristan too. She only hoped that her friend would be able to let him know that. Relationships were kinda her thing. She knew she wasn't a smart girl but she knew tons about relationships. Krista considered herself an expert. And so she grinned a Cheshire cat grin at both of them, said "no problem I got myself a date with history", and excused herself to go make out with Tim. No one knew about their secret relationship and she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with going public with him. It worked out better this way, besides it made her plan work out better.

Once Tristan and Abby were alone, he steered her in the direction of his car. When finally arrived at their destination it had been silent the whole way. Both of them were lost in thought and worried about telling the other about how they felt. Tristan figured that it would be better to drive them to the River Court so that their talk could be uninhibited. They drove in companionable silence with occasional small talk and made it to the river court in no time at all. They got out of the car, a cherry red new mustang convertible GT (only one of Tristan's many cars), and fetched a blanket from the back to lay on the grass.

As soon as they sat down Tristan was no longer able to keep silent. "I missed you Abs." He said as he watched her twist her head towards him with the use of such an intimate nickname. Only her parents and Tristan ever called her that.

"I'm sure you found someone to help you through that Tristan." She said bitterly remembering Raleigh and times before when Tristan had flaunted his conquests in front of her. She was tired of this dance that they were doing. She just wanted everything to be out in the open. Finally she leveled her gaze and choked back tears.

"Abby, there is something that you need to understand." He tried again to make her see how much she meant to him. "Those girls mean nothing to me."

"I know Tristan, it just hurts that you choose nothingness over me. It pretty much has happened our entire lives." She said and finally let the tears she had held in out. She felt one run down her cheek and quickly wiped it away.

"Just like you chose to get involved with people who were all wrong for you." Tristan spat out defensively. Abby had always had boyfriends who were attractive and rich. This wouldn't have been a problem but they always ended up hurting her. They couldn't see the real Abby like he could. Realizing that the conversation was turning ugly he said, "This isn't about how we don't like the people we go out with Abby."

"Tristan, why did you even come here? I was happy here trying to get over my best friend deserting me and offering no explanation." She said.

"BEST FRIEND DESERTING YOU! You were the one that ran away! You were the one that left Abby. You were the one who deserted ME!" He cried feeling the prick of tears.

"It wasn't physical desertion Tristan, you left me alone when I was hurting the most. That is when I needed you the most. You were off gallivanting around with yet another bimbo while I was morning the death of my parents. My life had been shattered, and I know yours was too, but not in the same way mine was. And I tried to call you when I left, I tried to get you to come with me. But I can see now what a huge mistake that was." Abby said pushing herself up and walking away.

Tristan sprang into action and grabbed her wrist before she got away. He wasn't going to let her run again. She crossed her arms defensively across her chest and tried to collect herself. Then she actually looked at Tristan for the first time since the fight began. His hair was mussed, most likely from the constant hand running through it, it was a gesture he did only when he was extremely frustrated. But then she saw his eyes, they were almost glowing with anger, hurt and frustration and he was crying. Her Tristan, her rock, was crying. Her heart went out to him but she knew she needed to stand her ground. This was one fight he was not going to win.

Tristan looked at Abby whilst she was looking at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and fresh tears were running down her face. To him she looked beautiful, hair askew and all. He wanted to take her into his arms and tell her that everything would be ok, but he knew that this needed to be sorted through before he would get that satisfaction. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair and said, "This conversation isn't going in the direction I wanted it to."

Still defensive Abby muttered, "Yeah well it isn't going the way I want it to either but at least I tried." She shrugged his hand off her wrist and tried again to get away from Tristan and the feelings he stirred in her. He was too quick and stopped her again this time with words.

"Jesus Abby, I came here for YOU. I didn't come for some basketball team or because I dated everyone at Centennial. I came here because without you I am miserable. Without you in my life it isn't worth anything. I know I screw up sometimes and you screw up too," He paused for affect, "But I need you in my life."

Abby was speechless. It gave her hope, hope that her feelings were returned. She still didn't want to delude herself but stopped to listen to the rest of what he had to say. It looked like he really wanted to say something else to her. "I need you in my life too Tristan, but it shouldn't be this difficult. You and I need to get things straight before we are best friends again Tristan." She smiled a genuine smile for the first time in what felt like ages that day.

"I cant be your friend Abby," Tristan said. Abby's face fell. What was all that shit about needing her in his life if he was not going to be her friend. She stood there, stock still in shock as the tears which had stopped started flowing. Then just as quickly as they came, a warm hand came to rest on the side of her face and gently wiped the tears away. She looked at Tristan and saw something in his eyes that she had only seen flashes of before. It had always been there lurking beneath the surface, but Tristan kept that part of him closed off. The emotion was love, and she was sure that it was reflected in her eyes each and every time she spoke to him. "I cant be your friend Abby." He restated as he wiped the tears away.

"Why not?" Abby said. She wanted more than anything to give in to the sensation of his hand, but she wanted him to get out what he had to say first.

"Because I am in love with you." He whispered reverently while his hand traced the contours of her face. "And I always have been"

Abby's face lit up like a kid in a candy store, the mischievous spark in her eyes which he had missed so dreadfully in Raleigh was re ignited and her smile was as big as the moon. Her eyes flashed such emotion that Tristan felt he was going to drown in them. Then, in a small, shell shocked voice, Abby whispered back "What took you so long? I was afraid you would never feel the same way as I do."

And right in the middle of the River Court Park, under an old hickory tree, Tristan leaned his face down to Abby's and captured her lips in a mind blowing kiss. Both felt the shock waves travel up and down their spines and every cliché that had ever been used to describe love was rolled up into that one kiss. It held passion, but most of all it held promise. The promise that a love as strong as theirs would last, despite their worry and their fights, their love was the forever kind.


End file.
